STUDENT JOURNALISTS HAVE THE ‘WRITE STUFF’
09 June 2009
Journalism students from across Scotland were celebrated last night (Wednesday 27th May) as the prestigious Write Stuff Awards took place at Glasgow’s City Chambers.
The Awards, organised by Cardonald College Glasgow and now in its 12th year, named students from across the country who have excelled in journalism courses at HND, under-graduate and post-graduate levels. The entries were judged by a panel of industry experts, editors and sponsors.
The top honour – the Evening Times Student Journalist of the Year – went to Cardonald College Glasgow student Marc Deanie, 23, of Cumbernauld. As part of his Student Journalist of the Year prize, he will join the Evening Times staff on a month-long work placement. Marc also won the College Entertainment Writing Award.
Marc submitted two articles to the awards panel. The first focussed on his favourite band, the Stone Roses, and was based on interviews Marc carried out with people who knew the band, including their biographer. The second article focussed on footballer John McGovern and was published in The Herald earlier this year.
This year’s Write Stuff accolades were hotly contested, with entries coming in from Adam Smith College, Glasgow Metropolitan College, Edinburgh’s Telford College, Cardonald College Glasgow, University of West of Scotland, Strathclyde University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Napier University and Stirling University.
Other winners on the night included Sharon Thompson from Glasgow Caledonian University and Erik Geddes from Cardonald College Glasgow, who were joint winners of the prestigious Society of Editors Scoop of the Year Award (see notes to editors for full list of winners).
Marc Deanie said: “I’m delighted to have been named the Evening Times Student Journalist of the Year and to have won the College Entertainment Writing Award – both were very unexpected. I’m very keen to work in the Scottish media and this is a real boost. I’m positive about the outlook for the press in Scotland and think if you’re brave and take a chance there is a great future for student journalists here.”
Each winner picked up a prize cheque and certificate to mark their achievement.
Around 150 guests attended the awards ceremony and civic reception at the City Chambers, including representatives from Glasgow City Council and some of the industry’s most important figures.
The full winner list for the Write Stuff Student Journalism Awards 2009 is as follows:
NUJ University News Writing Award: Catriona MacPhee from Stirling University
Times Higher Education University Feature Writing Award: Louise Hallman from Glasgow Caledonian University
Daily Record University Entertainment Writing Award: Amy MacBeath from Glasgow Caledonian University
The Daily Mail University Sports Writing Award: Gareth Jones from Glasgow Caledonian University
Real Radio College News Writing Award: Erik Geddes from Cardonald College Glasgow
SQA College Feature Writing Award: Rosemary Lowne from Cardonald College Glasgow
Scottish Sun College Entertainment Writing Award: Marc Deanie from Cardonald College Glasgow
Write Stuff College Sports Writing Award: Amir Rashid from Cardonald College Glasgow
The Society of Editors Scoop of the Year Award: Equal winners – Sharon Thompson from Glasgow Caledonian
University and Erik Geddes from Cardonald College Glasgow
The Evening Times Student Journalist of the Year Award: Marc Deanie from Cardonald College Glasgow